Casting vessel



April 1941- B. ZUNCKEL 2,237,723

CASTING VES SEL Filed 0ct. 5, 1958 After-new atcnted Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASTING VESSEL Bcrthold Zunckel, Osnabruck, Germany Application October 3, 1938, Serial No. 233,099

In Germany April 7, 1937 3 Claims.

in the usual casting processes the speed at which the metal is poured is regulated as well as possible by tilting the casting vessel or by altering the cross section of the outlet in the side or bottom of the casting vessel. When the usual casting vessels are employed, however, it is diflicult to maintain a uniform speed of pouring over a considerable period of time. It is still more diflicult to vary the speed of pouring according to a predetermined law.

By means of the present invention it is possible to regulate the speed ofpouring in any desired miner and to keep it uniform or to vary it. a result is obtained by means of a casting vessci in which a vacuum maintains equilibrium with the fluid metal, so that the speed of pouring can be regulated by varying the vacuum. Since the alteration of the vacuum can be very accurately controlled the speed of pouring can also be accurately regulated without difliculty.

'iwo forms of construction of casting vessels in accordance with the invention are illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawing, which also illustrates two particularly suitable regulating devices for adlusting the speed of outflow.

Each of the figures of the drawing is a crosssectional view through a casting vessel.

The casting vessel a which is illustrated in Figare l and is preferably heat insulated can be closed air-tightly by a cover c. The melt b is contained in the vessel a. At the bottom of the vesrel there are outlet openings d which can be heated, for example by wire heating coils h, in order to prevent the metal from solidifying. A pipe g which dips into the melt b is introduced through the cover 0 and is closed by a cock e. The pipe g is used for the purpose of varying the vacuum in the space f above the melt by introduring air or gas.

The casting vessel a which is illustrated by way oi example in Figure 2 is provided at the bottom with a central outlet opening d. In this figure the air-tight cover is indicated by c, the melt by b", and the free gas space above the melt by f. Instead of the immersion pipe 9 shown in the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 a pipe 9 which passes laterally through the wall of the vessel is provided. The pipe 9' is provided with a cock e. in the form illustrated in this figure the entire vessel including the outlet is provided with a resistance heating coil i.

The method 01' pouring the melt is as follows:

lifter the outlet opening or openings has or have been closed, for example by means of a metals of all kinds.

plug or plugs, the vessel is first filled up to the top with the melt b or b. The cover is then placed on the vessel which is thereby closed airtightly. Then one or more of the outlet openings is or are opened by removing the plug or plugs, the cock e or e remaining closed, and the molten metal flows out until a vacuum is produced about the level of the liquid metal and maintains equilibrium with the column of liquid.

Then by opening the cock e or e air or gas is admitted into the interior of the casting vessel and the molten-metal flows out of the outlets d in accordance with the reduction in the vacuum. The amount which flows out depends on the alteration in the degree of vacuum and a very fine regulation of the speed of pouring can therefore be obtained.

A uniform speed of pouring can be obtained most simply by immersing the pipe gin the melt to a definite height above the outlet opening. It a pipe 9' extends laterally through the wall, the height of the column of liquid between the mouth of the pipe and. the outlet opening (1' is fixed whereas in the case of the pipe g illustrated in Figure 1 it can be varied. As long as this column of liquid remains unaltered the speed of outflow also remains, unaltered unless the cock e or e is operated. This holds good as long as the level of the liquid is higher than the mouth of the pipe or or y at the lower end.

There are thus two possibilities of regulating the speed of pouring, namely, in the first place 'by altering the height of the column of liquid between the mouth of the pipe and the outlet opening and secondly by adjusting the setting of the cock. If the pouring is to be carried out at a varying speed it is generally advisable to adjust the cock and work without the immersion pipe.

In the case of sensitive melts the vacuum is altered by introducing gas into the casing vessel. For this purpose an indifferent gas or a gas which has a favorable efiect on the melt can be employed.- In addition to this possibility of improving'the condition of the melt, a further improvement also takes place automatically in that the melt is degasified owing to the vacuum.

With the apparatus or the invention several molds can be charged simultaneously from one casting vessel and with any desired speed of pouring. By heating or cooling the casting vessel the temperature of the melt can be influenced as desired.

The new casting apparatus can be used for It is particularly adapted for use with non-ferrous metals. Care need only specific gm Equivalent e the in liquid metal mm Thus for magnesium the casting vessel 'may be 5 metres in height, that is to say a height which would never be required whereas for iron a height of 1270 mm. must not be exceeded. Since there is no reason why the diameter of the casting vessel should not be increased as desired, any quantity of any metal can be'introduced into it.

What I claim is:

1. A vessel for pouring metal into molds with regulated flow comprising a receptacle having an opening in its upper end for charging the receptacle with molten metal, a cover for closing said opening gas-tightly, said vessel having a pouring opening at its lower portion whereby when said pouring opening is opened and part of the metal flows out a vacuum is created above the metal in the upper part of the vessel and opposes the outflow of metal, a pipe extending into said vessel and dipping into the metal in the vessel, and a valve in said pipe for regulating flow of gas therethrough into the vessel.

2. A vessel for pouring metal into molds with regulated flow comprising a receptacle having an opening in its upper end for charging the receptacle with molten metal, a cover for closing said opening gas-tightly, said vessel having a pouring opening at its lower portion whereby when. said pouring opening is opened and part of the metal flows out a vacuum is created above the metal in the upper part of the vessel and opposes the outflow of metal, a pipe extending into said vessel and dipping into the metal in the vessel, a valve in said pipe for regulating flow of gas therethrough into the vessel, and said pipe being vertically adjustable to regulate the level of the lower end of said pipe in said vessel to control the flow of metal from said pouring opening.

3. A vessel for pouring metal into molds with regulated flow comprising a receptacle having an opening in its upper end for charging the receptacle with molten metal, a cover for closing said opening gas-tightly said vessel having a pouring opening at its lower portion whereby when said pouring opening is opened and part of the metal flows out a vacuum is created above the metal in the upper part of the vessel and opposes the outflow of metal, a pipe extending into said vessel and dipping into the metal in the vessel, a valve in said pipe for regulating flow of gas therethrougn intb the vessel, and means for heating the metal in the vessel.

BERTHOLD ZUNCKEL. 

